2019 Practice Manager of the Year: Jessica Molina

2019 dvm360/VHMA Practice Manager of the Year Jessica Molina, PHR, CVPM, CCFP (Photo courtesy of author)

Jessica Molina, PHR, CVPM, CCFP, hospital administrator at Lee Veterinary in Atmore, Alabama, has been named 2019 Practice Manager of the Year by dvm360 and the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA). Molina wowed two rounds of judges with answers that showed leadership and decision-making, team motivation and management skills, a dedication to lifelong learning, and a demonstrated ability to adapt to change.

Her work has run the gamut-from hiring associate veterinarians and empowering team leaders, to inspiring her employees with a different take on superheroes in the workplace. Molina says she hopes the win will give her even more opportunities to share with colleagues the insights she's gained from her mentor and her own team members.

What people said

Veterinary professionals have a chance each year to nominate managers for the dvm360/VHMA Practice Manager of the Year at dvm360.com/pmoy. Here are a few comments from people who nominated Molina:

• “She is the best leader and organizer and leads by example. She's enthusiastic and an extremely hard worker.”

• “She demonstrates excellent management skills and has the clinic running very smoothly.”

• “She stood as strong as a lighthouse, taking ever-crushing waves that each day provided, but still led us stray employees back to our path of success and efficiency. I watched her sit with employees individually and help them hone their strengths and identify their weaknesses to make them better team players.”

“I also hope that winning this award will inspire more individuals who are looking for a career in veterinary medicine to recognize and consider the path of veterinary practice management,” Molina says. “Most of all, winning this award will not only push me to continue learning but to continue to grow. As I say (and firmly believe), you cannot get too complacent-after all, today's great is tomorrow's subpar.

“I've always had a passion for animals, but people and numbers have always excited me more,” she continues. “The more challenging, the better! It's the ‘aha' moments that come out of both that are my favorite part of being a veterinary practice manager. Both relationships and numbers provide key insight into the practice's overall health.”

The VHMA and dvm360 have co-organized the dvm360/VHMA Practice Manager of the Year contest since 2014. Christine Shupe, VHMA executive director, says she looks forwards to Molina's contributions in the coming year.

“We are excited that Jessica is the 2019 Practice Manager of the Year,” Shupe says. “Her performance demonstrates that she has effectively transitioned from being a competent manager to a successful leader … and is committed to personal and professional growth, empowering her staff and effectively addressing the challenges and changes that confront practice managers.”

The new VHMA president, Michelle Gonzales-Bryant, CVPM, says Molina is a great person to carry the torch for the award, which is about “giving managers a platform to spread ideas that work.”

“Jessica's track record shows that she is innovative and thoughtful about the issues that managers address personally, with their teams and in the practices,” Gonzales-Bryant says. “She has been remarkably successful, and I am confident that she will have much to offer her colleagues and the industry over the next year."

Molina's prizes for winning include a free registration to a Fetch dvm360 conference as well as registration and travel expenses to attend two VHMA events in the coming year.